frager



(No Mode 1.) A. PRAGER.

WATER METER.

3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Patented Apr. 29, 1884.

v Fig 1 I. 11 7, I J h a -s 'rmv 3,4 E v k; 1 a a J L 0 g I a/ a, 4.. K W

WITNESSES: V NVZNTOR:

By his Attorneys,

3 Sheets-Sheei; 2.

(No Model.)

' A. FRAGER.

WATER. METER.

No. 297,922. Patented Apr. 29, 1884.

Fig. 5

Fi .5;- F g- Figifi.

INVENTOR:

WITN ESSES: 22 2 :9 Mm (a B his flttorneys,

a. m m I g IQ (No Model.) 3 Si1e'ets--Sheet 3.

A.I'R AG'BR.

WATER METER. No. 297,922. Patented Apr. 29, 1884.

.Fig- E ra a l A ad I )0,

L a J C k g Q I .v INVENTORz' WITNESSES W 5W2 Wm. By his .Attorneys,

- UNITED STATES PATENT ()FF'ICE.

ALPHONSE FRAGER, oF PARIS, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF. To

sooIn'rE MICHEL ET 01s., OF SAMEPLACE.

WATER-M ETER.

SPECIPICATION'fonning part of Letters Patent No- 297,922, dated April 29, 1884' v Application filed February 16, 1884. (No, model.) Patented in-France November 9, 1852, X0. 152,009.

To all whom may concern:

Be it known that I, ALPHONSE FRAGER, a

citizen of the French Republic, and a -resident.

of Paris, France, have invented certain Improvements in Fluid-Meters, of which the fol;

lowing is a specification. My invention relates. to a piston-meter 'for measuring the quantities of fluids underpressure or head which are caused to pass through ro it. It is especially designed to serve as a water-meter for cities where the water is sup-. plied to houses under a head or pressure. My

meter is very simple ,and' comprises two measuring cylinders and their pistons, and each 5 admits the fluid to and permits it to flow from the other or adjacent cylinder. The cylinders are double-actingthat is, the pistons displace a charge of water at eachend'of the cylinder. The pistons move in alternateordem A simple register or recorder is employed to record the amount'of water which passes, and

means are provided for testing the integrity of themeter, to ascertain if the piston-'packings are leaking. v

W In the drawings which serve to illustrate my invention. Figure 1 is a vertical mid-section through the meter in the axes of the cylinders. Fig. 2 is a cross-section on line 2 22in Fig. 1. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are respectively hori zontal sections of the port-chamber on the levels of the lines 3 3, 4 4, and 5 5. in Fig. 1, designed to illustrate the arrangement of the ports and port-passages. Fig. :6 is a detached view of 5 the pawl-and-ratchet device whereby the recording is eflected' Fig. 7 illustrates amo difi'cation which will be referredto hereinafter.

Figs-8, 9, and- 10 illustrate modifications which;

will be hereinaiter described. o vA and A are two-cylinders, preferably-cast in one piece, and provided with chambers a a I at their lowefor outer ends, and sheet-metal cylindrical linings b b; B and B are pistons of. suflioi'ent length to cause 'them to move steadily. In the axes of the pistons are fixed trunksO and G,'in which play rods D and D, which perform the functions ofv valve-stems. On the upper or inner ends of the cylinders is mounted a fluid-receiving chamber, E, pro- O 5 vided with aninlet, Within this chamber.

piston acts directly to operate the valve whichv clamp, g, which takes over the valve.

arranged in these cylinders. .These are made w ismounted or fixed what I-will call the portchamber G, in which are arr'angedthe various ports and passages through which the fluid flows to and from the measuring-cylinders. H is a fluid-outlet from this. chamber. On

the opposite sides of chamber G are arranged the ported valve-seats 0'0, and on these seats rest and playslidewalves d'and d'one for each cylinder. As the pistons actdirectly to move the valves, and as the, stroke of the valve is much less than that of the piston, I provide the means I will now describe for getting rid of the surplus motion. The valve-stem D (for example) entersthe trunk C- of piston B, and

a cap, 0, is screwedonto the trunk. The stem has a button, f, or other enlargement on its inclosedfend, which prevents it from being drawn out of the trunk. The stem .passes up through .a stufiing-box in the cylinder-cover, and is provided at its end witha claw or The stroke or play of the piston equals the play of thestem in thetrunk plus the movement or displacement of the valve. The valve is held up to its seat by a spring, h, which may be of steel, rubber, or any other elastic niate- Iwill now describe the operation of the meter before proceeding to describe any of the remainin'g parts.

before stated, the valve actuated by one piston controls the movements of theadjacent pistonj I have numbered the receiving ports and passages 1,2, 3, and 4. The arrangement 5 of these is best illustrated in Figs. 2. 3, 4, and

v5. Port-passages 3 and 4 respectively admit the fluid to the cylinders A and A below the pistons, and port-passages 1 and 2 respectively admit itto' the cylinders above the pistons. Valve d controls ports 1 and 3, and valve d controls ports 2 and 4. Piston- B is at the upper or inner end of its stroke, and has just uncovered port 4, which admits the fluid under piston B. This latter piston rises and forces the .fluid above it out through port 2 under valve d, and in through exhaust-port '5 and out through E. When piston B reaches the end of its .up or out stroke, it will have uncovered port 1 and admitted the fluid to cylinder A 'ab'ove' piston B. This piston will move 'down and force the fluid below it out of about forty-five degrees, in orderthat the justment with reference to its ports.

record may be read easily, and has a glass front plate. be driven from any suitable gear-wheel, j, and this wheel is driven through the medium of a pinion, 'j, on a shaftflc, which shaft bears a ratchet-wheel, I, that is driven intermittently by a pawl, on, borne by the claw on stem D of one of the valves. This pawl-and-ratchet device is shown detached in'Fig. 6. As there are two pistons and cylinders, and as only one of these actuates the recording mechanism, it it is obvious that the register should record double. I so proportion the parts that when the ratchet-wheel I has advanced one tooth the mechanism will record a quantity of fluid equal to the displacement of both cylinders. The pawl is arranged to move more than far enough to engage one tooth, but is prevented from engaging two or more teeth by the pendent tail n, (see Fig. 6,) which rests on the teethof the wheel and prevents the inward swing of the pawl. The latter is kept in engagement by a weight, 0, or other equivalent device. For some liquidsas oil or alcohol-a'spring may be used; but water is apt to rust and inj ure a steel spring.

Where it is desired to give the pawl more movement than the valve has, this may be attained with the construction shown in Fig. 8. In this case the clawg on the stem D has a recess on its under side, which'is considerably longer than the valve, and the valve is recessed on its back to receive a spring, h, in the nature of a rubber ball. The operation will be obvious. Where the difl'eren'ce between the stroke of the piston and that; of the valve is not too great, this device may also be employed as an equivalent of the trunk'C; but I prefer the trunk. r

I will now describe the means employedfortesting the meter to ascertain if the packings of the pistons leak. This is shown at the right in Fig. 1. The valve-stem D is not connected rigidly to the claw 9, but is provided with a screw, p, which engages a halfnut on the back of the claw. The-rod extends upward, and has a square on its upper end, that engages a socket in a' key, g, which. screws down through the top of chamber E, directly over the stem. The stem may be rotated by means of this key, and this will run the valve up or down and throw it out of ad g In Fig. 1 valved stands in its normal position at the end of its upward movement. One turn The registering mechanism may of the valve-stem D runs the valvedown un-. til port 2 is uncovered. This arrests the movement of the pistonv B, and the flow immediately ceases if the packing istight. Iflow, as the pressure is on the lower face of plston B and the upper face of piston B, and the pressure is'relieved from the opposite sides of same, this tests the tightness of the cylinder-packing when the pressure is exerted against these faces. rity of the packing when the presssure is exerted on the other faces, I operate as follows:

One'turn back brings the valve again to its normal position and sets the meter in operation. Another turn in this direction displaces the valve inversely to the first turn given, and the piston B stops at the outer or lower end of its stroke, and B at the upper.

Thistests the packing with the pressure on the upper face of B and the lower facevof B. I may accomplish these same results by the means indicated in Fig. 7, where r is a ported plate arranged-to slide between the valve and .the valve-seat proper. The object is to displace the valve with respect to the ports, and this may be effected by moving the valve or its seat.

Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate my meter ina somewhat simpler form and deprived of the testing mechanism last described. The operation of the pistons and valves is the same as in that described. Iprefer to cast the port-chamber G and th cover for the cylinders all in one piece, as shown. Thev fluid may flow all around the chamber G within E.

Now, to test the integ- Some departure may be made from the construction herein shown-- as, for example, the screw 12 might be made to engage a half-nut formed directly on the back of the valve. I might also use a rotary or oscillatory-valve in lieu of a'slide-valve.

In order to distinguish between what is new and what is old in the meter Ihave described,

I will say that it is notnew with me, broadly,

to arrange the piston in one cylinder to actuate the valve which controls the ports leading to 'the other cylinder, nor to employ means for adapting the long stroke of the piston to the short stroke of the valve. 7

drive the recording mechanism from the valve" through the medium of a pawl and ratchet. Therefore I do not broadly claim these features.

Having thus described my invention, I claim-- 1. The combination of the piston provided with a trunk, the valve-stem provided with a ing to the cylinder containingthe other piston,

the means, substantially as herein described,

It is also old to.

1 2 5 button on one end and aclaw on the other, the' 5 the valve-stem provided with a screw, 10, a'r- In-witnessfwhereofI have hereuntosigned for displacing the valve with ncference to its prevent the engagement of inore than one tooth, ported seat, whereby the integrity of themethe valve, and thevalvestem provided with ter, as to leakage, may be tested, as set forth. a claw to embrace the valve, all arranged sub- 3; lhe combination of the piston, thejvalve, stantially as set forth. 15

ranged'to engage a h'alf-nut carried by the "my-name in th'e'presence of two'subsci'ibing I j valve, and the key g, arranged to engage and witnesses. v I turn the end of the valve-stem, substantially ALPHONSE FRAGER.

. 'as-and for the pin-poses set forth. Witnesses:-

1o The combination, with the ratchet-wheel ARMENGAUD, Jeune,

l, of the pawl m, provided with a tail,-n, to EDWARDP. MACLEAN. 

